BANGOR, Maine — When local resident Gabrielle Brochu went to Asia and Africa she witnessed human sex trafficking first hand, and she decided she had to do something. Brochu has organized Maine’s first Run For Their Lives 5K to spotlight the problem.
“When I was in Thailand and saw the faces of the girls in the red-light district, I knew I had to make a difference,” she told participants who gathered for the run-walk Saturday morning at Husson University. “Not only is this happening across the world, but also here in Portland, Maine, according to a recent Bangor Daily News story.”
The rain that fell on Saturday morning did not dampen the spirit of the 100-plus people who gathered from all over the state for the event, which raised funds in support of Freedom 4-24, a group that works to empower enslaved women and children, and the International Justice Mission, a human rights organization that rescues victims of violence, sexual exploitation, slavery and oppression, Brochu said. Other Run For Their Lives events were held simultaneously at 24 locations across the county on Saturday.
Poverty is the main reason hundreds of thousands of women enter or are forced into sexual slavery and prostitution, and it’s estimated that two children are sold into slavery every minute, she said.
“I saw the faces of the girls being sold for $24 a night,” the former honor roll student from Bangor Christian School and recent Liberty Christian University graduate said, referring to meeting prostitutes in Thailand. After meeting the girls, and after a previous visit to Uganda, “I decided we needed to stand up and take this issue personally.”
The registration fee for the 5k was a symbolic $24, Brochu said.
South Mongolian sisters Weilis and Hailis, who are both studying piano performance at the University of Maine, thought it was important to volunteer at the event, especially since Asia is a hot bed for human trafficking.
“I wanted to help the people — to help the girls,” said Weilis.
She said she has seen television shows and news stories about the problem of human sex trafficking in her home country, located just north of China, but never witnessed anything firsthand.
“There is definitely sexual trafficking everywhere,” her sister said.
Rachel Lord, 14, from Blue Hill, and Debbie Somers of Bangor both said that they were drawn to the event by the stories of those who have fallen victim to human trafficking.
“I heard about it at our church, Bangor Baptist, and came out because this is all wrong,” Somers said. “That hit my heart and I figured I should be here.”
Others from her church also attended, she said.
Lord said she and some family and friends were on hand to “take a stand against human sex trafficking.”
She said she spread the word amongst her friends, some of whom made the trip to support the run.
Brochu said the biggest hurdle she has faced while out talking about the event is people’s lack of knowledge about what is happening.
“They are unaware,” she said, adding, “People don’t want to know about the rough stuff that’s going on in the world. It’s not in their face,” so they choose to ignore it.
Service providers and police in the Portland area are not ignoring the problem, and instead have joined forces to create the Greater Portland Coalition Against Sex Trafficking and Exploitation, which has been in place for about a year.
Auburn police and support services also are hosting the second Not Here Conference scheduled for Oct. 25-26, which will include Maine’s Attorney General William Schneider, national experts and Detroit sex slavery survivor and author Theresa Flores.
Schneider will be talking about “prostitution from the human trafficking point of view,” Brenda Kielty, a special assistant in the attorney general’s office, said Friday. “Clearly, prostitution and human trafficking overlap.”
Brochu said her main goal is to get people talking about human sex trafficking and slavery, because the first step in fixing a problem is to discuss it.
“You have to stand up for what you believe in,” she said. “I encourage others to get involved — to make an impact.”
Those who would like more information about Run For Their Lives can check out the group’s website, r4tl.com.
It boggles my mind that in this day and age that human trafficking exists. it seems that as time goes forward in history, we are going backwards in morality and decency for fellow humans. Mr Obama close the damn borders and get our house in order. evict any illegal alien and get the gangs and criminals taken care of so the rest of society can function. Get an island in the middle of the pacific and use it as a penal colony for hard core criminals.
He can’t get rid of the illegals, his auntie lives here, in taxpayer subsidised housing…….
dufus, yer part of the problem.
It is the truth, yet the problem is people don’t want the truth because it ruins their fantasies
Several local men have traveled to Thailland on just such trips, returning home to tell their tales. After doing so, several have made Thai women their brides after a fashion. Some towns now have a small but growing Thai population. Bought & paid for…
Where can i get mine?
How about we send all the illegals back to their own countries.
Husson members know business. Without a consumer for your product there is no business.
See, if we just made prostitution legal, this wouldn’t be happening. I know all KINDS of women who have said “You know? If selling my body for meaningless sex with multiple strange men on a daily basis was legal I would be ON IT!!” Then girls wouldn’t be exploited or kidnapped into the sex slave market. The only downfall would be that they’d have to pay for their own birth control and couldn’t get abortions if they were raped by a John or something. BUT, at least they would be paying taxes, which would be another bonus!
you are a genius…i need sex everyday and this would be a great plan
No one NEEDS sex every day unless you have issues, which you then need to see a counselor about. Wanting sex everyday is another. Here’s an idea, be a kind, loving, respectful man and you can get it for, wait for it, wait for it…..FREE!!!…..on a fairly regular basis. :)
Most Women do not tend to like the nice guys. Need sex every day yes some of us men do .. ——NEED a partner to have sex with no .
I agree with you…I try to be nice, i have a full time job, a house, a car…i am a funny unique guy but I go overboard with my interests – i like just about anything.
Rn means well she dose not get it women tend to like the bad boys . Yes being nice might work for some but more often than not a woman will pic the bad guy if she thinks he is hot. You do not believe RN Go to a local bar . The guy just out a prison has more luck than a school teacher in most cases . If you are an RN how many women come in for domestic abuse and come back a again with either the same man or a different one? We would like to believe we would be rewarded for doing the right things . It usually dose not happen that way . Lots of nice guys do not finish at all haha .When women want sex they can afford to be more fussy .
well thats maine in general…the more prescription pills you have the more women want you.
I was with ya before. But those are the wrong kinda women anyways .
I agree with you. Most women – and sadly like myself – are looking for stuff that doesn’t exist. Most women (at least to me) are morbidly obese in the state and have the mentality that “it can’t get any better” than me. And sadly as I grow older its starting to become true. The ones that aren’t fat have at least one kid and are living off the state…its terrible. And when someone comes along that has a troubled past they’re always at the front of the line for their dates.
Fat girls need loving too.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x67jtMPfdTw
I was in a very long relationship with a ‘bad boy’-not towards me physically, but as in drinking/multiple OUIs, inconsistant jobs, and inability to keep it in his pants. Then I grew up and got sick of it all. Married an amazing man that after a decade still makes me feel beautiful, and guess what? Doesn’t drink, smoke, or do drugs. He has a steady job, is a great dad, helps around the house, and treats me and the kids like we are the most precious possessions in life. No offense, but perhaps you are looking for the wrong women. Either they are immature or ones you shouldn’t waste your time on. If they’re so insecure they only pick men who treat them poorly, what do you want bother with that for? There are MANY women out there who want a good man. And men need to be sure to treat their daughter’s the way they want a man to treat their daughter some day. We go for what we know. The bad boy attraction is just a phase. :)
See that is my point. Yes some women do grow up latter in life. Decent guys get used and abused . Nothing hurt me more than a relationship ending because she found a Bad boy . I lost a lot of respect for women. Now I am older and some of these women would love to have me back . Yes when they get over the bad boy stage maybe they will like a nice guy. In the mean time women I can not help but resent what women do. Kinda under minds one own security . At about 40 some women seem to learn. Women wonder why men are jerks because they reward them for being so. Know we are not as trusting and rightly so. Women seem to always want to blame men .
I hear you. Men and women both have their faults, that’s for sure. But just like I tell a good friend of mine, you can’t judge all those of the opposite sex as a whole. I’ve often told her to look at patterns of the people SHE’S picking. Perhaps she’s making the wrong choices over and over again-and the fact that she can’t find a decent man isn’t that ALL men are jerks. But good luck to you. Finding a good relationship isn’t easy. :)
He never did anything to me and you wonder why men do not want relationship and too just have sex. Maybe it is so we will not be hurt. I do not hate women but never will understand women. I lost a lot of empathy for the old damsel in distress.